Important Douglas County lands bill meeting PDF Print E-mail
Written by Wild Nevada   
Sunday, 29 January 2012 11:13
burbankcan_al_015The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will be holding a public hearing on the Douglas County Conservation Bill on Feb. 2. The Commission meeting starts at 1 p.m. in the Douglas County Administration Building at 1616 Eight St. in Minden, and the conservation bill will be discussed under the county manager’s report.

We need to fill the historic courthouse with voices that support two key elements of this bill:

1. The designation of Burbank Canyons as permanently protected Wilderness and;
2. The sale of excess federal land in Carson Valley in order to raise funds for conservation easements that will help generate additional conservation opportunities for sage-grouse and their habitats.

Here’s why we support this measure:

The Burbank Canyons are a stunning wilderness study area in the Pine Nuts northwest of Wellington. Not only is there great hiking, backpacking and fishing, but the three deep canyons and the excellent upper-elevation sagebrush in this area provide important wildlife habitat for deer, sage-grouse and other important species.

The bistate sage-grouse population in Douglas County and other Nevada counties has been decimated in recent years due to the loss of its sensitive sagebrush habitat. The easements proposed under this lands bill will go a long way toward providing funds to conserve irrigated meadows and other areas that are essential to the bird’s survival.

The County has been working on this bill for a long time, working with tribes, federal agencies and more than 90 stakeholder groups.It’s a good bill . It carefully balances the county’s development and planning needs with the protection of its cultural heritage, historical agricultural operations, floodplain lands, and natural resources.

We need to make sure it isn’t compromised as it inches toward final approval.

A hiker takes in the view from Burbank Canyons. Take a backpacking trip into this proposed Wilderness area at our photo gallery .
 

Add comment


Security code
Refresh